Love for a Doctor
by elm87
Summary: A newcomer to Atlantis makes friends, especially with a certain Doctor. I don't own any of the characters. Enjoy and let me know what you think :)


She didn't even have time to register the stun blast before it hit her. She had never felt pain like it, as if a thousand lightning bolts were coursing through her body at once. The next moment her mind and body went blank.

* * *

Lanaya slowly opened her eyes as the bright light blinded her. Where was she? She became aware of a strange beeping from somewhere near her. The last thing she remembered she had been running from the Wraith. And then, of course, the blast from their weapon. She must be on board one of the Wraith ships. It didn't look like she imagined it. She had heard the stories, but never imagined it would look so…clinical.

The more she became aware of her surroundings, the more she started to panic. The beeping beside her intensified in pace. She was hooked up to so many wires, she needed to get them of her! Grasping about her, she started ripping them of. Wow, they hurt as they peeled from her skin!

'Woah dearie! Careful now, you don't want to be doing yourself any harm.' A man wearing a white coat strode towards her. His strange, lilting accent soothed her. She didn't know what it was about him, but she calmed down as he reattached the wires. 'Don't worry love, you've been shot with a Wraith stunner, nothing we haven't seen before. You'll be back on your feet in no time. Now I'll have to get Dr Weir and Colonel Sheppard down here. Just you relax. What's your name pet?'

She watched him work efficiently, checking the machines that surrounded her as she answered nervously, 'Lanaya.'

'I'm Dr Beckett. Don't you worry Lanaya, they'll be here shortly. The Colonel will explain everything and why you're here.' At that he touched a strange device at his ear and spoke into it. 'Dr Weir, our patient has woken up.' He listened, and seemingly content turned back to her, 'You just relax until they get here, they won't be long.' He patted her hand, and turned away. She took the chance to look around her, but tiredness overtook her, and she slowly closed her eyes and dosed off.

* * *

She could hear a mumble of voices around her. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Dr Beckett talking to a group of people, three men and two women. Her breathing hitched, there were too many, what where they going to do to her? He had told her to relax, but how could she when they were obviously plotting against her. These wires obviously meant she was their prisoner. Again she could hear the beeping noise get faster. Dr Beckett turned round and walked towards her. 'You're ok, Dr Weir just wants to have a wee word with you.' He looked round at one of the women. She had shoulder length brown curly hair, and smiled at her. It didn't do much to ease Lanaya's beating heart. She had lived too long in fear of the unknown.

'I'm just going to take a quick blood test, see how you're getting on' Dr Beckett spoke as he arranged something on a table. She looked at him, now fearing this man she thought was supposed to help her. He walked towards her with a strange apparatus with a sharp point and a black piece of material.

'Ok, just you hold still pet, while I get this on your arm.' He moved to lift her arm, and put the black material around it. He lifted the sharp piece of metal, 'Don't worry, just a small pinch while I get this in.' He started towards her with the apparatus. 'NO!' She screamed, and the next second her shield had initiated. The Doctor was knocked backwards and all of the wires attached to her flew off. She curled herself up into the smallest figure she could.

Lanaya didn't know why her shield hadn't activated when she was being shot at by the Wraith, maybe because she was taken completely off guard. But finally with these people trying to hurt her it had started working again.

The doctor was being helped of his feet by one of the men and the one he called Dr Weir. The two other men had drawn their weapons and where pointing them towards her. She knew it, they wanted to hurt her. As the doctor got to his feet, he looked fearfully at her. But it was she who should be afraid of them.

'What was that!? What did you do to him!?' The military looking man with the short brown hair pointing a gun at her shouted. Me! She had simply protected herself. She could feel her shield pulsating around her, but it was growing weaker. She was growing weaker. The stunner had obviously had a more lasting effect than she thought.

Lanaya could feel the blood rushing to her head, her vision going blurry before she passed out.

* * *

As she woke up for the third time that day, Lanaya could feel something different. She tried to move, but her arms and legs were being pulled back. Opening her eyes she saw the restraints holding her down. She had only been protecting herself, and now they had shackled her even more.

Looking around, Lanaya saw Dr Beckett studying the machines while two men stood at the end of the bed with weapons. 'Please!' She cried 'let me go, I haven't done anything!' Hearing her voice, all three men turned around. The doctor once again pressed the device in his ear, 'She's awake'. He was less forthcoming this time, looking warily at her.

'Please, you're hurting me!'

'You tried to hurt us.' The woman from before, Dr Weir, entered with the military man that had shouted at her earlier. 'Colonel Sheppard, can you make sure our guest doesn't do the same again.'

'She won't get us again.' the man replied, Colonel Sheppard she guessed.

'You tried to hurt me, I was protecting myself!'

'You threw one of our men across the room without even so much as a visible weapon. We saved you on that planet, we expect some courtesy in return.' Colonel Sheppard replied. 'The doctor was simply trying to help you, make sure you were recovering from the Wraith weapon. How did you do what you did without using anything?'

Lanaya hesitated, she had become used to keeping her gift a secret. People didn't understand. They tried to experiment on her, tried to hurt her for the fun of it. But here, she was restrained, held under gun point. It looked like she didn't have a choice.

'I can protect myself. I have been able to since I was a child. I don't understand it, but when I am in trouble, I can project a shield around me.' She looked around, the doctor was staring quizzically at her, Colonel Sheppard still hadn't moved from his initial defensive stance. Dr Weir had her arms folded frowning. 'Carson, is that possible?'

Carson? Who was Carson? 'I don't know, I've never seen anything like it. But then recently there's been a lot I haven't seen.' Ah so Dr Beckett was Carson.

She felt they needed more, 'He was trying to stick something in my arm.' She attempted to point at Carson. 'I was scared, I didn't know what was going on, I didn't mean to hurt or scare anyone, I promise! Can you please undo my restraints, they're hurting me. Or am I a prisoner?'

Dr Weir spoke first, 'We only restrained you to stop you hurting anyone else, but from the sounds of it, they wouldn't stop you projecting this _shield, _as you call it. Carson you can release her. And you can leave.' She instructed the men standing at the end of her bed, guarding her.

As they left, Carson moved forward, looking into Lanaya's eyes as he did so. He didn't say anything, but somehow again she felt she could trust him. He unbuckled the restraints, she stretched and massaged her wrists and ankles.

'What happened? How did I end up here? All I remember is being hit with a Wraith stunner.'

'We visited your planet to see if we could trade with your people,' Colonel Sheppard replied, 'The Wraith showed up to begin a culling. Your people were scared, running for their lives. We found you on our way back to the stargate, you had just been hit. Wraith on the ground were going to capture you, so we brought you back with us.'

He's very straight talking, she thought. In a different way to Carson he gave her a feeling of trust. These people weren't going to hurt her, they were just worried about what they didn't know.

'Can I go home? Since I'm not a prisoner you can take me back? My family and friends will be worried about me.'

She noticed a look pass between the three people standing before her. Dr Weir seem hesitant to say what she had on her mind. 'I'm afraid the Wraith culling of your planet seems to have been the most aggressive we have ever seen. We sent people back to check it out, but...'

Lanaya started to get worried, 'Please tell me what happened!'

'There was no one left, we searched as far as we could with the resources we had, but there was no sign of any life left in all of your villages surrounding the gate, and no evidence of any further afield. I'm so very sorry Lanaya.'

* * *

No. No, her parents, friends, everyone she had ever known were gone. This couldn't be happening. Silently, the tears started to roll down her cheeks. She felt a warm hand on hers. Looking up, Carson's concerned blue eyes were looking into hers. Without thinking she reached up and put her arms around him. She needed comfort right now. He seemed taken aback, but eventually put his own arms round her. She cried into his jacket for what seemed like hours. Finally she pulled away. 'I'm sorry.' she said to the doctor.

'Please, dearie, you've had a massive shock, it's not always just medicine we need. Is there anything I can get you?'

'No.' She looked around, 'were did the others go?'

'They left a couple of minutes ago to give you some space. They'll talk to you later. Do you want something to help you sleep, without worrying?' His kind eyes made her eyes start to water again.

'Please.' She whispered.

Carson walked to a cabinet, retrieved a couple of pills and brought them back with a glass of water. Silently she swallowed the pills followed by the water. Closing her eyes but sensing Carson still standing there she at least felt safe finally. Slowly she could herself being pulled into unconsciousness. She had enough energy to mutter one last sentence.

'Thank you.'

* * *

In the following days, Lanaya came to know a lot of what happened in this place she discovered was called Atlantis. These people had come from so very far away. A different galaxy in fact. This entire city had once been home to the ancients, and these people had made it their home to study as much as they could. Explorers they called themselves. She found them interesting in a way she had never felt before.

The shock of hearing that all her own kind were gone was still hard to bear, but slowly Lanaya came to accept it. Dr Weir had offered her refuge on Atlantis until she felt she wanted to leave. Dr Beckett, Carson, was keeping her in the infirmary to keep her under observation. Dr Weir, Colonel Sheppard and several other people from his team visited her regularly.

Dr McKay, or Rodney as she realised they all called him, seemed very interested in her shield. She had tried to explain as best she could, but she had never questioned her gift, merely accepted what had been bestowed upon her. He was very persistent until the woman named Teyla reminded him it was lunch time. After that he seemed very eager to leave.

Teyla was wonderful. Lanaya had already felt a strong bond with the other woman. After talking at length with her, she found out that Teyla had also come from a different planet to this city after a Wraith attack. Lanaya enjoyed hearing about her beliefs and rituals, and Teyla promised one day she would help her practice her meditation.

The leader of the team, Colonel Sheppard, John as she was told to call him, was different to all of his team. He was caring though tried not to show it. He obviously had a great respect for the rest of his team and cared for each of them. Although from time to time it was obvious that he would become exasperated with Rodney. He made sure that Lanaya was kept up to date with anything concerning her home planet. But he was also funny and she realised she had been right to believe she could trust him.

The only member of the team not to visit her on his own volition was the warrior Ronan. He was brought to the infirmary after sustaining an injury. Though he did not seem eager to stay. And he spoke so little, that Lanaya was concerned that he still viewed her as a threat. Carson realised this and was quick to reassure her that this was just the way Ronon was. She did however find out that the Wraith had affected him, making him a runner and that Atlantis had saved him too. It seemed that this great city was a sanctuary for many.

As much, or as little in Ronon's case, that she came to know about certain people in Atlantis, she felt a real bond with Carson. Being the Chief Medical Officer, he was constantly in the infirmary. Even when he was of duty, if an emergency was called in, he was ready and waiting for casualties. But there were quiet days as well, and it was during these days that Lanaya found out the most about him. He came from a country called Scotland, which was apparently quite wild and beautiful. She loved the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of it. And apparently it was because he came from here that he had such a wonderful accent. Lanaya found that even just hearing it soothed her mind. So much so that when he was working, she would simply close her eyes and listen.

While Lanaya told him stories of her home world, Carson regaled her with stories about the other members of the Atlantis expedition, and strangely a lot of these included Rodney. She especially liked the one where he shared his body with the mind of a woman. Though Carson's details of this story became quite sketchy towards the end, as if he was trying not to remember something. But it was his attitude when she recalled her lost friends and family that really struck her. Sometimes she would cry until she fell asleep, but he still sat with her and held her hand until she did, not saying anything, just being there.

Finally after two weeks stuck in a hospital bed, Carson came to her with good news. 'Dr Weir is happy with my assessment that you are fit to leave my domain,' he grinned, 'She's organised a room for you to stay in until you decide what you want to do. Now lass, would you like me to give you the tour?'

Lanaya could hardly contain her excitement, she may have been twenty five years old, but at the moment she felt like she was only five. She had always loved to explore. Carson chuckled at her impatience. On the way to her room, he showed her the mess hall, the control room and Rodney's office. She felt sorry for the man Zelenka that had to put up with him, it seemed he got moody when he was hungry, and that was a lot. Carson stuck up for him though, it seemed they were very good friends.

Finally they got to her room, walking in, she felt a sense of well being. She hugged Carson, 'You're a good friend, thank you for being there for me.' She kissed him on the cheek.

Blushing, Carson smiled at her, 'You're welcome lassie, its nice having someone to be there for. I'll let you get settled in.'

With that he left the room and Lanaya turned to survey her new environment. Looking out the window, she thought to herself, 'I could get used to this.'

* * *

Getting used to life in Atlantis was not much of a chore to Lanaya. Everyone was kind and cheerful to the newcomer. Much as she interacted with as many people as she could, Lanaya could not help but become drawn to Carson.

Whether it was the fact that his was the first friendly face she had come to know in this world, or the fact that he was constantly checking up on her, telling her stories to make her giggle when she felt down. Her thoughts were always pulled towards him, even when they simply sat together looking out over the ocean, keeping each other company.

Anytime she hugged him, she could feel the strong muscles of the doctor beneath his uniform. It made her feel safe as soon as he entered the room, even though John was obviously the more experienced when it would come to a fight. She stopped short of kissing him on the cheek anymore. Although it had been a common custom on her world, he always seemed to blush when she did, and Lanaya didn't want to offend him.

But the more time they spent together, the more she wanted to know Carson better, to become more than just a friend to him. As she went to bed, his was the face she pictured as she fell asleep, those blue eyes sparkling at her above that handsome Scottish mouth. His accent was enough to make her stomach flip, even if she didn't see him coming first.

However Lanaya was sure he only viewed her as a friend. He was never the one to hug her first, and he never mentioned the fact that she didn't kiss him on the cheek anymore. Probably glad that she had stopped. But she was still very glad that he sought her out to eat breakfast with or to make sure that she wasn't feeling too lonely. She would make do with him being her friend, because at this point she couldn't imagine life without him at all.

As the days went by, even with Carson's friendship, Lanaya found herself becoming bored simply wandering about the halls of Atlantis. Her new found friends in the form of John, Teyla, Rodney and even now Ronon were often off world fighting battles with the Wraith. Carson was kept busy with the casualties that resulted in these battles, and sometimes could only spare 5 minutes to grab a quick cup of tea with her.

Lanaya decided that she needed to find activities to fill the day, so whenever the team were home she asked them to teach her some of their talents. And so she began meditating with Teyla, training in the gym with John, weapons and hand to hand combat with Ronon and even Rodney attempted to teach her some basics (or so he said) about the systems in Atlantis. When he could spare his time, she even picked up some basic first aid from Carson. It went a long way to show how accepted she was into their group that they would show her skills that in the wrong hands, could be used against them. For this Lanaya was eternally grateful.

One night Carson left her off at Teyla's quarters for their meditation session. As Carson said goodnight, Lanaya couldn't help but gaze after him, once again wishing that she could do more than hug him. She felt Teyla's gaze on her, and quickly turned around with a smile. 'Shall we begin?' Teyla smiled back.

It was after these sessions that Lanaya slept the soundest. They completely relaxed both her mind and body. Tonight once both girls had risen from their seated positions, instead of Teyla wishing her goodnight, she turned and looked quizzically at Lanaya. 'You and Dr Beckett are good friends, are you not?'

Confused as to this sudden question about Carson, Lanaya dipped her head, embarrassed that she was so glad he had been brought up in conversation by someone else. 'I think so, I'm glad of his company, he is very funny, and very kind.'

'I believe you wish there was more than friendship with him.' Lanaya blushed at the accurate statement. Although the two girls had become good friends, Lanaya had never wanted to approach the subject with Teyla. She was worried in case Teyla would tell Carson and they would laugh at her. She had never felt this way about a man before.

'I…I…' Stuttered Lanaya. 'Do not worry, I will not tell him if you do not wish me to. I simply observed the way in which you look at him. I think that you would make a good match together.'

'Do you think he feels the same about me?' Hope rose in Lanaya's chest, it would be more than she could ever have imagined if he did. 'I do not know for certain, however he seeks you out when he could be sleeping after a hard day's work, and I have seen the way he looks at you when you are not looking. There has been what John would call a spring in his step since you arrived.'

'Should I talk to him about it?' The thought made Lanaya nervous. Nervous that Teyla could be wrong. 'I believe that would be the right course of action. However tonight you should go and rest, our meditation session will have tired you out.'

Saying goodnight to Teyla with a hug, Lanaya left to head back to her quarters. Her heart soared, Teyla would not say those things unless she was sure. She had hoped Carson felt the same about her, but had never dreamed that it would be a reality. As she got ready for bed she decided that the first chance she got tomorrow she would bring the matter up. That night she slept more soundly than any before or since arriving in Atlantis.

* * *

Lanaya woke early the next morning and got showered quickly. She usually met Carson for a quick cup of coffee before he started in the infirmary, and wanted to talk to him as quickly as possible. However arriving in the mess hall, she couldn't see him. She walked to the infirmary in case he had started early. Again she couldn't see him anywhere. 'Excuse me,' she asked a nurse, 'has Car…I mean Dr Beckett started work already?' The nurse smiled, she had seen Lanaya with Carson many times, and she too noticed the chemistry between them, glad the doctor had found a lovely girl. 'I'm afraid he was called off world with Major Lorne's team, one of the villagers there sustained a nasty wound from a falling tree. Dr Beckett went to see what he could do. They left several hours ago, so they shouldn't be much longer.'

'Oh ok. Thank you.' Smiling at the nurse she turned and walked out. Feeling at a loose end, Lanaya decided to visit Dr Weir. She had been meaning to discuss her stay in Atlantis. She was positive that this was where she wanted to stay from now on. It was after all the only world she had friends on. The thought filled her with sadness as she walked towards the control room. But thinking of Carson lifted her spirits slightly, perhaps if everything went well, she could start a new family with him?

Just as she entered the control room, the stargate started to power up, 'Unscheduled off-world activation!' shouted the technician. Dr Weir ran out of her office, 'Raise the shield! Is there an IDC coming through?'

As she said this, the comms burst into life, 'Atlantis, this is Major Lorne, we're coming in hot!'

'Lower the shield!' Shouted Dr Weir. The technician punched a button and the shield was lowered. As it did, a bright burst of light lit up the control room for a second then disappeared back towards the gate.

'What was that?' Dr Weir was shocked. But before anyone had time to answer, Major Lorne fell through the open wormhole, quickly followed by the rest of his team and then Carson who was half lifting, half pulling an injured man with him. They both collapsed just in front of the gate as it shut off.

'What happened?' Dr Weir ran down towards the men. Again before anyone would answer her, the Stargate started to dial up from an incoming wormhole. All of a sudden, several people were shouting.

'Incoming wormhole!' 'Raise the Shield!' Dr Weir cried to the technician.

Major Lorne started towards Carson, 'Get out of there Beckett! Now!'

The technician's voice carried to everyone, 'I can't get the shield up! It's not working'

For Lanaya the world seemed to stop, she knew there was chaos going on around her, but all she could focus on was Carson and the fact that he wasn't going to get out of the way of the incoming wormhole in time. The shield wasn't going up and it was about to vaporise him.

Her stomach knotted so tightly she thought she was about to throw up, and an instant later she could feel her shield activate. But this was different to anytime before, there was so much power it astounded her. She could feel it pushing away from her, surrounding the entire control room.

The wormhole activated, 'CARSON!' she screamed.

The energy of the opening wormhole blasted against her shield, but somehow it had grown in size and was protecting Carson and the man he had carried through the gate. She could feel an immense energy flowing through her as the wormhole was established. It was far more than she could handle. The pressure in her head built as she felt blood running from her nose and as if in slow motion, her knees crumpled and she fell to the floor towards blackness.

* * *

Standing in the infirmary Carson couldn't help but relieve those moments in the control room.

Coming through the gate after being under attack with an injured villager. He had thought they were safe, and then the stargate had fired up again. He hadn't been able to move the villager quick enough and could hear the screams around him as the shield wouldn't initialise. In what he thought would be his final seconds, he had looked up and saw Lanaya standing at the top of the stairs looking down in horror.

'CARSON!'

Her cry of terror had caught in his ears as he closed his eyes about to face his death. But nothing came. When he opened his eyes again, he saw her standing there, but a look of pain crossing her face, her nose had started bleeding and her eyes rolled back into her head. She collapsed on the floor like a doll.

He forgot about the danger surrounding him. Shouting at a nurse that had just arrived, he ordered her to see to the wounded villager. He also heard Dr Weir shouting to get the shield up, and from behind him, he heard the noise that it made upon initialisation.

He blocked all sounds out as he ran up the stairs towards her. Looking at her small fragile form crumpled on the ground, it took a second for his medical instincts to kick in. 'We need a medical team up here, now!' He moved her body into the recovery position and checked her pulse and her breathing. Thank god! Both were faint, but there.

When the medical team arrived, he helped them lift her onto a gurney and started wheeling her towards the infirmary. It was only then he felt liquid on his face, he put his hand up expecting to find blood, instead he realised it was tears.

* * *

Lanaya groaned as she came to, shifting her head, it felt like a hammer was drumming against it. Groaning again she tried to open her eyes without success.

'Ssh love, you're ok, you're safe.'

She heard that wonderful lilting voice and a warm hand on her cheek and immediately fell still. She must have died, this was the afterlife, and surely Carson had died in the control room.

'I'll turn the lights down, so you can open your eyes without as much pain.' His voice drifted back to her.

As she sensed the room growing darker, Lanaya attempted to open her eyes once more. This time with more success. She could make out five figures at the end of her bed and one walking to her side. Adjusting to the darkness she made out Dr Weir, John, Teyla, Rodney and Ronon. They all had a look of concern on their faces, but meeting Teyla's eye, the woman gave her a confident smile. Smiling back, Lanaya turned to see Carson, and was shocked at his appearance.

His face was grey, and his eye were filled with worry. His wonderful smile had left his face. 'We thought we lost you for a while there.'

'What happened?' She asked.

Dr Weir answered her, 'The Genaii were on the planet that Major Lorne, his team and Dr Beckett visited. They chased them to the gate and shot an apparently new weapon through. It was supposed to disable the shield so they could gain access to Atlantis. However when they dialled again, after a couple of misfires we got the shield up again.' Dr Weir then glanced at Rodney.

'Something else happened, which I am very close to figuring out, if you all hadn't pulled me away from my research, which was actually going very well…'

'Rodney!' John's voiced sounded a warning to him.

Rodney looked at him exasperated, 'Yes, well, it would appear that you played a vital part in saving Carson's life today. You activated your shield, and somehow expanded it to cover nearly the entire control room, specifically Carson and the villager, protecting them from the blast.'

Lanaya was shocked, she knew she had felt the shield grow in power but to cover such a large area, she had no idea how, and what happened to make her black out? The confusion must have shown on her face as Carson tried to explain, 'Somehow as the blast hit your shield, the energy was transferred to your body. It caused massive stress, causing several blood vessels to burst and you couldn't cope. Your body went into self-preservation and shut down, that's why you collapsed.'

It was only when he finished speaking that Lanaya realised he had taken her hand in his. Looking down, she felt the warmth from it radiate through her body. Glancing up at him he gave her a concerned smile. 'Everything seems normal with all your scans and tests, but I want to keep you in for a few days just to make sure. For now though, you need your rest.

She gazed round at the rest of her friends, making eye contact with Teyla. 'I think that is our cue to leave. I will visit very soon Lanaya.'

'But I want to ask you some questions, to figure out what happened, I…' Rodney started to walk beside her before Ronon clapped him on the back, 'C'mon McKay, I hear they have fruit pots back in the mess hall.' 'Oh really? Well maybe we can talk later, hmm yes, I am feeling rather faint, haven't eaten in a while…' The sound of his voice lowered as he was guided out of the infirmary by Ronon and John, followed by Teyla and Dr Weir. Teyla gave her one last knowing smile before turning the corner.

Turning back to Carson, she felt the tears prick her eyes. 'I thought you had died, I was watching the gate come into life, but I couldn't move.' The tears overcame her, and she broke down into quiet sobs.

'Hey love, don't be crying, I'm here, strong as an ox, ain't going anywhere. You're the one I was worried about. You saved my life, but nearly killed yourself doing it. I would never have forgiven myself for that sacrifice.'

'I don't know what happened, my shield, when I thought you were going to die, I felt something I had never felt before, more than fear, it made my shield grow. I wanted to protect you!'

'I think I know what it was, it's the same feeling as I rushed up those stairs towards you. It was fear, but more than that, it was fear of losing the one you love.'

Lanaya started at his words, she looked up at him, her tears drying suddenly in shock. 'The one you...the one you love?'

Carson looked nervous as he cupped her chin with his strong hand, 'Aye lass, I love you, have done since the minute you first woke up in my infirmary. Just didn't want to admit it in case you didn't feel the same.'

As his words sunk in, their warmth grew in her heart until it reached her mouth, and she broke into a smile, 'Of course I feel the same, how could I not, I've loved you so much if felt like my life didn't start until I met you. I just thought you were only interested in my friendship. You blushed when I kissed you?'

'Of course, I knew it had been a custom during your people and thought it was a gesture of friendship. But the feeling I had when you did it were more that those a friend would have.'

The colour had returned to his handsome face. His hand moved from her chin to tuck her hair behind her ear. As she gazed up at him into his blue eyes, she wondered how she never knew that of course he loved her. It was all there in his face, the way he looked at her, the way she could see her love reflect back from those eyes.

'There's one thing I need you to do, just to make sure I haven't died.' She smiled up at him.

'What's that love?'

'Kiss me.'

He smiled that handsome smile of his, 'With pleasure.'

He gently ran his hand through her hair, angling her face upwards as he bent down, stopping short of her lips. She could feel his breath catch before she made that final move to connect. Their lips moved softly against each other at first, testing the pressure gradually and then becoming more and more intense. He eased open her lips with his tongue, entwining it with hers, making her breathless with the emotion in this one simple action.

After what seemed like hours, but was only a few seconds, they broke apart breathless. 'I really am going to have to speak to Dr Weir you know.' Lanaya caught her breath to say. Carson looked confused as to why she was bringing Dr Weir into this moment.

Sensing his confusion, she grinned, 'I'm going to have to tell her I'll be needing my quarters permanently since I'm going to be staying here.' Carson joined in with her grin, letting out a low growl from his throat.

As he reached down, Lanaya put her arms round his neck and pulled him towards her, as they embraced each other in the second of many kisses to come.


End file.
